Toronto At Texas MLB Expert Predictions

When the MLB playoffs begin, you expect there to be some drama and excitement, although you don’t always expect it on the opening night. The first game of the postseason saw the Toronto Blue Jays entertain the Baltimore Orioles at the Rogers Centre, and what we got was a nail-biter of the highest order. The game finished 2-2 in regulation before glory came in the 11th inning in the form of an Edwin Encarnacion 3-run blast that sent the fans into a frenzy, and the Jays into the ALDS where they will take on the Texas Rangers. Game 1 of the series is set for Thursday night, and it will all begin in Arlington, Texas, where the Rangers were a very healthy 53-28 in the regular season. Both of these teams can score runs in a big way, so it’s fair to say that there are likely to be some fireworks going off before this series draws to a close. Who will come out and take the lead in Game 1? Let’s take a look and see the latest betting odds.

In Depth Analysis On The Blue Jays At Rangers MLB Expert Predictions

When: Thursday, October 6 at 4:30 PM EST Where: Globe Life Park, Arlington TV: TBS Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Toronto Blue Jays

If you had to choose just one thing that might swing this game in the favor of the Toronto Blue Jays, it may well be that they have essentially been playing playoff style baseball for the last couple of weeks. The Rangers had the division wrapped up quite some time ago, but Toronto found themselves caught in the middle of a Wild Card fight that made every game coming down the stretch very important. They did go 1-2 in games played in Texas this season, but they are 7-4 there over the past 3 seasons. Overall, they have a winning record versus Texas this year, and a steal on the road could very well put them in a real position of power heading back home.

Why bet on the Texas Rangers

As I’ve already mentioned, the Rangers won their season series with the Jays at home this year, and simply holding serve in their own building will be enough to get them through. This is a team that was supposed to be built around pitching, but they have turned into a power player instead, having to pile on the runs most nights to make up for the inadequacies of the pitching staff. The Rangers won their division with a +8 run differential, which is far and away the lowest of any of the division winners in the MLB. If they are going to win this game, and the series, they are going to have to rely on offense.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The one thing that jumps out to me looking at this match-up is the career performance of Cole Hamels, the Game 1 starter for the Rangers, versus the Jays. He is 0-3 with a 5.29 ERA, and his team has gone 1-5 in those games. Give this one to the Blue Jays on the road.

Toronto Blue Jays 5 Texas Rangers 3